Stellar Blade sequel Blood Rain announced with new hero and no Sony exclusivity

Korean studio Shift Up has announced Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, a sequel to its 2024 action hit, and this time Sony is not the publisher. The original sold an estimated 6.1 million copies across PS5 and PC, per GuruGamer, making Blood Rain one of the more anticipated follow-ups in the action genre. Shift Up will self-publish the sequel, which means a simultaneous multiplatform release is the goal — a sharp break from the 14-month PS5 exclusivity window that delayed the first game's PC debut.

The new game

Blood Rain introduces Evie, a new protagonist connected to the original's Eve — similar name, similar outfit — but with a notably different fighting style. Where Eve relied on a sword, Evie brawls with mechanical fists. The reveal trailer, recorded on a PC build, shows her tracking a high-value target through a dense futuristic megacity before a covert operation spirals into a full-scale fight with something no longer recognisably human. The city itself is a striking change of setting: Stellar Blade's Earth was largely devastated, with survivors clustered in small colonies. Blood Rain's world looks visually richer and far more populated.

The self-publishing shift

Shift Up confirmed the self-publishing strategy in May 2026 earnings statements and at Summer Game Fest, per VGC. For players in the US and UK, that likely means no long wait between a console release and a PC version this time around. The original's PC port launched in June 2025 and hit one million sales in just three days — the fastest PlayStation-to-PC port launch on record, outpacing the PS5 version's own early trajectory. Steam peak players reached around 190,000 on day one.

No platform list has been confirmed yet — Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 remain unannounced, despite the multiplatform intent. A release date or launch window has not been shared either.

What to watch for

The gameplay redesign is worth noting. Stellar Blade's combat was widely praised once players got past the initial discourse around Eve's character design, and swapping the sword for fists suggests Shift Up is building a distinct identity for Blood Rain rather than a simple reskin. Whether the story connection between Evie and Eve runs deeper than aesthetics remains to be seen. More details are expected before the end of 2026.